Mental health

 

Mental health

Depression prevents neuroplasticity.  Exercise can restore it.

    Physical activity can restore neuroplasticity and can reduce the symptoms of depression.

    

    

    Important aspect

    Defects in neuroplasticity-the brain's ability to change and adapt-are a feature of clinical depression and major depressive disorder (MDD).

    New research shows that interfering with three weeks of physical activity can restore the neuroplasticity that MDD patients lack.

    Studies have shown that physical exercise can reduce symptoms of depression, but it is unclear whether restored neuroplasticity will cause these clinical effects.

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    A recent study conducted at the Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Clinic of Ruhr University Bochum, Germany (Brachell et al. 2021) found that three weeks of physical activity intervention helped to relieve major depression (MDD) and long-term energy (LT)  .  Neuroplasticity in MDD patients.

    

    Although these two observations (reducing clinical symptoms and restoring neuroplasticity) are highly correlated, researchers are not 100% sure that restoring brain plasticity through exercise will lead to the disappearance of depressive symptoms.  This open access paper was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

    In this study, senior author Karin Rosenkranz and her RUB colleagues recruited 41 adults who received MDD treatment in their clinics.  Participants were randomly divided into "exercise group" and "non-sports" group.  As the author explains, “compared to a control intervention (N = 18), we studied the effects of a 3-week physical activity (PA) program on the clinical symptoms, exercise excitability, and plasticity of patients with MDD (N = 23).”

    Before and after physical activity intervention, the second version of the Back Depression Inventory (BDI-II) Rating Scale was used to measure the severity of depression.  BDI-2 is a 21-item self-report list that measures the severity of depressive symptoms, such as negative emotions, depression, depression, decreased mood and desire, or lack of motivation and motivation.

    To test neuroplasticity such as LTP, Bruchell et al.  The transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol described here uses a combination of short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and paired association stimulation (PAS).

    The researchers found that a higher baseline BDI-2 score was associated with a lower level of neuroplasticity.  However, after three weeks of regular physical exercise, the BDI-II scores of the study participants in the "exercise group" were significantly lower (reflecting milder depression) and higher levels of neuroplasticity; the control group was close to baseline.

    When exercising in major depression, neuroplasticity will improve and depressive symptoms will decrease

    "The more [neuroplasticity] increases, the more obvious the clinical symptoms," Rosenkranz said in an August 2021 press release.  "These changes are not so obvious in the people involved in the control plan. It shows signs of physical activity and the effect on the brain's ability to change."

    right

    What is depression?

    Find a therapist to treat depression

    However, he insisted that these interrelationships do not imply validity.  Rosenkranz pointed out that based on these data, we cannot say how much the ability to change symptoms is related to the ability of the brain to change.  It can certainly play a role here.  "

    

    The authors summarize their research in the discussion section of the research paper:

    "In short, we have shown that physical activity (PA) intervention can help reduce clinical symptoms and make the LTP-induced neuroplasticity deficit in MDD insufficient. These two observations are highly correlated. The neuroplasticity defect is directly regarded as a potential  Pathophysiological mechanism. Further research needs to study whether clinical or neurophysiological parameters can be used to predict the effect of therapeutic intervention, because it is a test of individual treatment strategies.

    The latest "Exercise and Depression" study (2021) identified the relationship between regular physical exercise, improvement of depressive symptoms, and restoration of neuroplasticity in patients with MDD.  Further research is needed to determine the causal relationship in the treatment of major depression, and to determine the clinical relevance of neuroplasticity to enhance exercise intervention.

    How to increase the shadow of despair

    When the heart of darkness rises, it often leaves a shadow.

    Depression casts a long shadow, which may persist after symptoms appear.

    Chronic depression can impair immunity; always skip medical issues first.

    After experiencing frustrating events, we can modify our way of thinking.

    In order to improve your feelings, please commit to your deepest values.

    Depression casts a long shadow, which may persist after symptoms appear.  Once the acute pain subsides, many people feel emptiness, causing them to fall into the outer shadow of depression.

    The shadow density of depression is partly physiological.  Chronic depression destroys immunity.  Always skip medical issues first.  Perform a physical examination through a blood test.

    

    The following can help:

    1. Walk 30 minutes a day.

    Spend 10 minutes in the sun every day and 1 hour in nature every week.  These three activities are effective antidepressants for many people without side effects and health benefits.

    #2. Rethink the model to promote recovery.

    The tendency to worry is a characteristic of frustration, making us vulnerable to repeated loss, failure, mistakes, and painful thoughts.  Repair is the process of linking past mistakes, lost or painful memories with future corrections.

    For example, during his depression, clients often yelled at his wife and children.  He admits that depression is not an excuse to bring it to the loved one, and this view will cast a shadow on his recovery.

    In addition to sincerely apologizing to her family, we also set up a one-minute review class to practice 12 times a day.  In every meeting, he imagined a state of exhaustion and stress, while in the past, he cried to the one he loved.  Every time he recalled the emotion of screaming, he reminded himself how much he loves them and how important they are to him.  After about six weeks, she regained control of her emotional and physical conditions, as well as her behavior.  As a result, the screams stopped completely, and the shadow of depression spread.

    To give another more personal example, after my mother died suddenly many years ago, I suffered from severe depression.  Once the intense grief is over, his memory will bring months of pain or torment.  In order to heal myself, I opened a practice class where I recalled various memories of my mother and appreciated the idea of ​​enriching my life and remembering her by loving and protecting my family.  In a few weeks of practice, the shadow of despair disappeared.

    

    # 3. Let the built-in memory work for you.

    Feelings will be magnified and magnified by concentration.  When we say or think, "I feel... (for example) annoying," the brain enters the perfect memory at other times when we feel irritable.  We may be able to choose behavior from our past dissatisfaction experience, which is bound to continue bad emotions.

    To make this process work for you, check your feelings, but focus on the feelings you want.

    E.g:

    "I feel very annoyed, but I want to stay close and in touch with my partner."

    When I feel connected, my brain is full of latent memories, and at this time I am more exposed to my self-worth and the values ​​of my partner.  My behavior tends to be more open, compassionate and kind, which increases the opportunities for intimacy and connection.

    right

    What is depression?

    Find a therapist to treat depression

    # 4. Replace guilt (you and others) with improvement.

    Replace failure with improvement (try to create a situation with internal conditions, better).

    The natural motivation to heal, correct, and improve errors is destroyed; hurting work or perceiving damage is the fuel of failure.  We cannot heal and improve while blaming.  Decide which one is more important to you.

    # 5. Fight the symptoms.

    Don't wait until you feel that it has changed.  In the shadow of depression, we don't want to do too many things, especially what we need to do-exercise and create value.  Keep waiting until we think that doing something will reduce the stimulation of the brain and impair neurotransmitter function.

    If you don’t like this, then do it!  Behavior changes feelings more reliably than other feelings.

    trap:

    "When I feel better, I will start exercising."

    You will not feel good until you start exercising.

    #6. Commit to your deepest values, not your feelings.

    When we have been committed to feeling, these are basically habits that we developed in the past, we will make the same mistakes over and over again.

    Depression is a must-read

    Depression prevents neuroplasticity.  Exercise can restore it.

    Depression and suicide

    Committed to deep values ​​can improve feelings.  Committed to your more humane values ​​will make you feel more humane and help you become the person, partner, and parent you most want to be.

    # 7. Focus on authorization, not legality.

    Empowerment is the use of the power of improvement and healing, personal strength, resources and flexibility to create value and money.

    

    Seeking legitimacy from others can be frustrating.  Your personal frustration experience-in your opinion-is unique.  Those who have never suffered from depression will not get it at all.  Those who are frustrated may share your experience with them and hope you can respond like them.  Or they will be afraid that your legitimacy will drag them into the dark.  You may have misunderstood, judged and felt isolated.

    Seeking legitimacy from others puts us in the shadows, risking being identified as injury, loss, and failure.  Marking of injuries or symptoms makes our confirmation susceptible to prejudice.  We look for evidence of injury or damage and ignore evide

nce of strength, resources, and resilience.